Stanford Has Atheist Chaplain for Atheist Pupils; Says Atheists Suffer Same Problems as Rel. Pupils

Stanford University has appointed an atheist chaplain to serve its non-believing students, according to the Religion Today website.

Stanford's independent Humanist Community hired John Figdor last July, but he is an officially recognized chaplain under Stanford's Office of Religious Life.

A Harvard Divinity School graduate, Figdor explains his work by saying that "atheist, agnostic, and humanist students suffer the same problems as religious students, and would like a sympathetic non-theist to talk to."

Figdor recently led students through a program he calls "The Heathen's Guide to the Holidays," in which he suggested alternatives to celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah. Among the options was singing secular songs, such as John Lennon's "Imagine."